Build Date?

[72 DIRTY RAT]

Hi Guys, I'm still a newby with chevytrucks, My 72 suburban lands here in Australia next week (I havent seen it in the flesh yet), I just want to know where/how do you find out what the build date is? Do you work it out from the vin or does it say it on the glove box door or does it say it anywhere else?
The Title says built in 71 but I need to prove that to the authorities.
I'm just trying to get things in order so I can register it as soon as I can!
Also, this may sound stupid but did the trucks and Suburbans come off the same production line or were they built on separate lines/factories?

Thanx

[dan42]

Welcome to the board - I don't know if you can find the actual build date (maybe if it still has the build sheet hidden somewhere, on the pickups it's in the springs on the back of the seat) but by the production number, you can get a decent idea. They usually started building them for the model year in September I believe, and depending on your VIN, you should be able to get fairly close. For example, my '67 was around the 1850th truck made in Southern Cal for the '67 model year, so I'm guessing it was made in late Sept-early October. Good luck and post pictures when it gets there!

[Indyuke]

Yes, the VIN will give you the year the truck was made. Go to this website and it will give you year numbers: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/Chevyear.html

As dan42 has said, if you want to get anymore specific, then you'll have to make an educated guess based on the burb's serial number, which is the last string of numbers in the VIN.

[72 DIRTY RAT]

Mine is the 28191th! on the Title it says 71, I'm trying to find out close to the build date because according to our DMV if you have a 72 or later you have to pay a lot more (extra $1000!) to get it registered, so any sort of proof would save me some $$$$!

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by 72 DIRTY RAT

Mine is the 28191th! on the Title it says 71, I'm trying to find out close to the build date because according to our DMV if you have a 72 or later you have to pay a lot more (extra $1000!) to get it registered, so any sort of proof would save me some $$$$!

If it is a 71, then it was built before September of 1971. When my dad worked at the Ford plant in St. Paul they switched over the 4th of July while everybody was on vacation and started building the new model year in mid July when everybody got back to work.

[Duncan and son]

The 5th digit in the VIN designates Yr model. On the drivers door (inside back side) there is a blue manufactures label that shows build date. Hope that helps Paul

[Indyuke]

+1 on what duncan has said. Check the 5th digit on your VIN. Here are the number designations for the year models. If you've got a 71 the 5th digit on you VIN should be a "1".

1967 = 7
1968 = 8
1969 = 9
1970 = 0
1971 = 1
1972 = 2

[dfwright]

My truck has a sticker on the door that shows the month/year of manufacture.

[72 DIRTY RAT]

Sorry I should have said that it is a 72 model year BUT built in 71! The Vin has the 2 in it! The title says it was built in 71.
Vin CCE262F128191

I got a feeling there is no sticker on the door. On my title it says renewal time is August, I wonder if it was built just before that?????any guess's on the month?


Thanx in advance

[Duncan and son]

72 dirty rat, when these trucks were new they introduced the new models in Sept. EX: the 1972's were put on sale Sept 1971 which means a lot of 72's were actually built in 71. A late production 71 would probably be built in June 71. Within a few days the production of 72's would start. The stop/start days always varied yr to yr. The vehicles came with a MSO (manufactures statement of origin) and did not get a title until it was sold to the consumer. The fact your truck has an Aug 71 registration suggest it was one of very early 72's sold. Hope that helps Paul

[72 DIRTY RAT]

Thanks Paul, I think I'll just say it was built August 71 to our DMV! I hope they agree!

[AusMarty]

I reckon that if the title says 71 that's what they would go on, I wouldn't think they would bother checking the vin number against build dates ect

[72 DIRTY RAT]

Yeah, Ive been told that if I can convince the 'blue slip' guy that its a 71 then I'm laughin! Where you at in Australia, Have you got a truck or a Suburban? These earlier suburbans are a rare sight in Australia, I've only ever seen a few late 70s - mid 80's models but no 60-early 70s? But I have seen quite a few 60-70's trucks!

[unclewatts]

I have a little problem with some of the previous posts saying it was as late as July that the factories switched over to the next model year. I have the same sticker that Dfwright posted the picture of and mine says 8-70 which is August 1970. My truck is a 70 so the year change over has to be after that.

[2tons of fun]

i found a dated sticker on the under side of my factory dash pad.

cant say if it was the date for the truck or the pad it self but it was a 71 with a 8-16-70 on the pad, but who knows.......

you might be able to find a date stamp on the frame as well, i know that the 73+ did.

[Duncan and son]

Unclewatts you are exactly right, one thing I have absolutely learned about General Motors is that NOTHING is absolute. That is why I said it varies from yr to yr. I gurantee you 38-40 yrs ago they never thought anybody would be working on their vehicles and if they were they would not be concerned with the day it was built or what the original color was. The love of cars and trucks started about 1950 after WW1 and has grown ever since. The more desirable ones create more curiosity and desire to know more about them.
That is all I have to say about that...Forrest Gump.

[72 DIRTY RAT]

Thanks for your help everybody!
Isnt it Funny the difference between the truck department compared to some of the other vehicles GM made, I'm into the Corvette forums as well and you can just about find out anything when it comes to Vettes! From my vin I can just about find out what day, month, year just by the build number You can ask people about every nut and bolt and what date it was made by just asking. There are so many fanatical vette guys out there, so I suppose through the years everything has been catalogued and calculated to make it easy!